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Clickjacking: The Threat Beneath the Frame

Have you ever clicked on a link and had an unexpected website open? Have you gone back and tried again, checking to make sure you clicked the right spot, just to have it happen again? You may be a victim of clickjacking- an increasingly popular method to generate clicks on hidden content. It’s best to protect yourself with professional antivirus software from ZoneAlarm, in case one of these false links carries more problems than merely redirecting your browser.

Clickjacking, or a “UI redress attack,” is a system of tricking users into clicking an unintended button or link. Designers often accomplish this by placing layers, often transparent, on top of legitimate content. Though the link may say, “click here for a free iPod,” it may lead somewhere entirely different. Similarly, text boxes may be overlaid on real sites to trick people into providing information meant for another source. In this type of attack, someone may believe they are entering their bank password but mistakenly give their information to an unknown source.

From Twitter retweeting scams, to fake Facebook “like” buttons, to Adobe Flash plug-ins, attackers are hijacking mouse clicks all over the Internet. In January of 2012, the BBC reported (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16755434) that Facebook had accused Adscend Media of running a clickjacking campaign. Allegedly, the “like” button was made to be invisible and place on other content browsers intended to click on.

Though antivirus software will protect your from undesired consequences of clickjacking- such as the downloading of a virus- they do not stop the initial con. Security professionals recommend installing NoScript add-ons which Google’s “Browser Security Handbook” (http://code.google.com/p/browsersec/wiki/Part2#Arbitrary_page_mashups_(UI_redressing) declared "the only freely available product that offers a reasonable degree of protection" against Clickjacking.”

Until a sure fire solution to clickjacking is developed, it is best to protect yourself against potential consequences of a misplaced mouse. Get top of the line antivirus protection from ZoneAlarm and detect threats before they strike.